JV boys basketball competed against the Hutto Hippos on Friday Dec. 19th, and collected a 60-46 win. The Warriors synchronized playing style and quality shots ensured their success against the Hippos. 

“[The team prepared by]practicing, working hard, showing up on time, and just giving it one hundred percent,” Max Romero ‘27 said.

Heading into the first quarter, the Warriors gained control of the ball early. Both teams went back and forth on the court, until the Hippos broke through the Warriors defense and scored a three pointer to open the game. Evan Richards ‘27 matched the Hippos with a mirroring three point shot to tie the Warriors and Hippos at three.. The Warriors took advantage of this steady pace and kept putting pressure on the Hippos defense. Charlie King ‘27 secured the ball and scored a layup to push pace for the Warriors. This caused the Hippos to tighten up their defense to block out the Warriors scoring spree. By the end of the first quarter the Warriors held their short lead of one with a score of 15-14.

“I think our shot making ability in the first half [helped decide the outcome of this game],” Owen Kim ‘28 said. “Max is a great shot creator.” 

Beginning the second quarter, the pace started to intensify, leading to loose ball handling and missed shots from both teams. Nevertheless, the Warriors still maintained a lead at 20-19. Romero scored back-to-back points ranging from jumpers to layups. Even with the Warriors aggressive offense, both teams still stayed neck-and-neck with the Warriors consistently leading by one. Bradley Rodgers ‘28 made a layup off of Romero’s assists to momentarily pull the momentum back to the Warriors. This momentum dragged on to close out the first half with the Warriors now holding their largest lead of the game at 29-22.

“[The best part of the game was] everyone just working together, passing the ball around, and getting open shots,” Romero said.

Back from halftime, Jermey Huang ‘28 scored one of the first points of the third quarter.  With the Hippos trailing behind, they started getting more creative offensively. The Hippos started controlling possessions which helped them slow down the pace of the game and create offensive openings. This slightly closed the lead for the Warriors, but did not hold for long as the Warriors quickly gained their bearings back and soared ahead with a score of 40-25. Isaac Richie ‘28 deepened the lead with a three point shot after a transitional assist from defense. In the last 30 seconds of the third quarter, the Hippos scored a layup putting the final score of the quarter at 50-36.

“I’m proud of everyone doing the job,” Kim said. “Especially Evan shooting the three ball really well tonight.” 

Entering the fourth quarter, the Warriors came out swinging as they took possession of the ball and made a two point shot near the basket. Despite the Hippos locking down on defense, Romero pierced through to make a layup for the Warriors. Westwood’s offensive cohesion on the court helped them secure their scoring advantage. With the end of the game closing in, the Hippos’ rushed possession caused  them difficulty in scoring, and put them down at 56-46. The Warriors stayed in control of the fourth quarter and ended it out with a score of 60-46.

“We all just did our part,” Kim said. “And it helps out everyone once we do our job, it creates opportunities.”

The JV boys basketball team will return to the court on Tuesday Jan. 9th to face off against the Round Rock Dragons.